Nuts are crazy awesome. Versatile, flavorful and nutrient-dense, they're easily the biggest protein source for me on a daily basis. How can one eat so many nuts? Let me count thy ways. They don't have to be straight out of the bag. Nuts are great as a 'pate' or in this case, as nut butter for slathering on morning toast finished with your fav jelly. Remember my old post on why it's advised to soak nuts? It's the best way to destroy enzyme inhibitors that allow us to fully digest and take in nutrients from the nuts. The other method is to roast them....

Homemade Almond Butter
1 cup Raw, Unroasted, Unsalted Almonds
First, roast the almonds by placing them on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until slightly darker and fragrant. Let cool (30 min), then transfer almonds to a Vitamix, food processor or blender, and blend on high for 2 minutes until almonds are ground to a fine powder. Keep blending until a smoothy and creamy paste forms (another 2 minutes), but be sure to stop the machine for a minute so it doesn't burn out and to scrape down sides. Keep repeating these steps. Add a little salt to taste, slather over toast along with a spoonful of jelly!